Scalloped Potatoes and The Happiness Box

Many years ago when, my boys were small, when we wanted to teach certain lessons we would look for books in the Jewish Bookstore that would reinforce the messages we were trying to convey. We have collected a number of wonderful books over the years and have read them to each of our children. We still periodically read those stories to our girls, although they are getting big themselves. One of my favorite all time stories is “The Happiness Box” by Bracha Goetz. The story begins with a school age boy who is never happy with what he has. He is constantly grumbling and complaining. One day his parents get a new washing machine and his father gives him the huge box the machine came in as a gift, with the following message: “This is a happiness box. You may only think happy thoughts when you play in it. Negative thoughts are not allowed.” The boy goes in the box and forces himself to only think happy thoughts. As time goes on, he comes to rely upon the happiness box and his whole negative outlook on life becomes a positive one. (Spoiler alert!) One day, when he is going off to camp he worried that he wouldn’t be able to take his huge Happiness Box with him. What would he do when he got sad or became worried. He then had an epiphany…the Happiness Box was really his head, and realized he had the ability to be happy all along. I love that story!!! Even as a grown-up it spoke to me about the power we have over our thoughts and feelings.

However, that being said, sometimes life is a little harder and more challenging and the solution doesn’t come in the shape of a washing machine box. The consolation however might come in a much bigger box…in the shape of say…a kitchen! It’s true. I love my kitchen. Many years ago, when we literally ran out of bedroom space for our children we ended up adding on to our house. The bonus was that I ended up with an incredible kitchen. My father (z”l) and I spent years designing and re-working the plans for the kitchen so that it would be incredibly functional and efficient, and one that I would love spending hours in. It was an incredibly special gift he gave me – the gift of working with him to create something long lasting. I really spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house! Even before my father passed away a few weeks ago, the kitchen was really my favorite room in the house. So much so that we all lovingly call it my“Happiness Box”. I have found that on some of my hardest days, there is nothing better than losing myself in a recipe or baking great volumes of cakes, cupcakes & treats. It’s incredibly cathartic.

Creamy and delicious!!!

I also have found that I love my friends in my online community. I routinely check and comment on several Kosher and general cooking sites and feel like I’m part of an extended family. If I need help with a recipe, I’ll often post it on one of the facebook groups and will likely get back excellent advice in a relatively short time. I recently noticed someone asking for a recipe for Scalloped Potatoes. I actually was pretty excited about it because I have had a fabulous one that I have used for years. It can be made dairy or pareve (both are equally good), it’s fairly low in fat (healthy bonus!), and with Shavuot around the corner it’s a perfect dish to serve with your dairy meal. It’s fairly fast to make too – especially if you use a food processor or mandolin. I prefer the mandolin, I find that it allows for more uniform potato slices, but either would work to make this a quick recipe. When the potatoes come out of the oven they are wonderfully creamy with a beautifully browned top. They are also excellent reheated, which bodes well for making them in advance – always good when having to make a lotof Yom Tov and Shabbat food.

I love preparing food in my personal “Happiness Box” kitchen. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it, except for wishing that my dear father (z”l) were still here with me in it, laughing as he shnookered food out of pans on the island.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!

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Meet Sharon Matten

Sharon Matten lives in the awesome city of Chicago with her family, their guinea pig Puffball, and several glow in the dark fish. For more information about Sharon click here →